TV Ate My Wardrobe

Festive Rewind: Adventure Time “Holly Jolly Secrets”

It’s TV Ate My Wardrobe’s first festive season and to mark this occasion we are hosting a very special rewind series. What this means is that we will be featuring a whole host of guest posts and in the spirit of the holidays we have asked a variety of writers to discuss a festive episode of their choice. These will be appear on the site over the next couple of weeks and there’s an eclectic mix including teen dramas, science fiction, animation, comedy, drama and more to get you in the celebratory mood. Or to at least give you plenty of suggestions of TV to watch over the break.

Up first is Andrew Daar with the Adventure Time episode “Holly Jolly Secrets.”

There is no Christmas in the Land of Ooo, the setting for Cartoon Network’s sublime Adventure Time. That’s because the series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which nothing from our current society has survived. So the Christmas episode isn’t about the holiday itself but what it’s often represents: friends coming together to hang out and eat sweets, and the airing of dark secrets among families.

“Holly Jolly Secrets” isn’t the first Adventure Time episode to suggest that there is something deeper going on with the Ice King, Finn and Jake’s arch-nemesis and bane to princesses everywhere; he wanted Finn and Jake to throw him a “manchelorette” party and he wanted the duo to teach him the secret of being happy. But it’s here that we first see the Ice King as a tragic figure rather than a comic villain with intimacy issues. Much of the two-part episode’s runtime is devoted to watching Finn and Jake watching the Ice King’s video diaries. This sounds like a boring set-up, but Adventure Time’s bizarre humor makes the scenes of watching characters watch TV not only enjoyable but laugh-out-loud funny. The structure is also very important to the final reveal because we finally see the Ice King communicating to only himself. In the videos, he is stripped of his posturing and planning, and is purely himself. We see him for who he really is: a very lonely, very deluded man with magical powers and no concept of responsibility or morality. Meanwhile, the Ice King tries to get into Finn and Jake’s treehouse, not to attack them, but because he wants to hang out with them. He goes about trying to watch the tapes with them in the wrong way – because he is deluded – but he genuinely desires to spend time with them – because he is lonely.

If “Holly Jolly Secrets” ended before the final reveal, our conceptions of the Ice King would be changed, and it would be a fun Christmas episode, featuring ugly sweaters, living snowmen, hot cocoa, and a few good friends spending time with each other. The first three quarters of the episode is full of silly humor, friendship between Finn, Jake, and their sentient video game console/VCR/alarm clock BMO, and Ice King-induced winter hijinks. Then the episode’s tone takes a sharp left turn, and we get our first glimpse of just how emotionally affecting Adventure Time can be. We get our first glimpse of the world before “the Great Mushroom War,” and it is a tragic look indeed. The Ice King’s origins are revealed, and it puts many of his darker behaviors in twisted context. At no point does Adventure Time use the revelations of the episode to excuse Ice King’s bad behaviors (keep in mind that he kidnaps princesses on the reg; in one of his tapes, he considers kidnapping Wildberry Princess as if he were thinking about his grocery list). Instead, the revelation is handled much like a family would treat a revelation about a family member; the characters feel empathy for the Ice King rather than sympathy. The revelation provides insight into Ice King’s bad behavior, but it doesn’t excuse it. And in their empathy, the characters decide to set aside one day every year to hang out with and feel empathy for “the biggest weirdo in Ooo.”

Like it or not, Christmas often requires us to spend time with people who annoy or anger us just as often as it enables us to spend time with our friends and loved ones. The Ice King reveals himself as something akin to an embarrassing uncle, someone who makes problems for Finn and Jake and does things that makes them cringe. But they can’t escape him because in his twisted way, he likes them and wants their company and approval. And they’ll never be rid of him because he is no longer a cartoonish villain to be beaten, but a tragic figure worthy of pity. A tragic figure worthy of pity whose darker impulses must be stopped, yes, as even in this episode, he turns to anger when he doesn’t get what he wants. But Finn and Jake will never see him the same way again. Merry Christmas, Ice King. You have received the gifts of humanity and depth.

Andrew Daar is an attorney and comedy writer in Chicago. He has written pop cultural and legal analysis for websites like This Was TV, Sexy Feminist, and Bitch Magazine.

Tags: "Holly Jolly Secrets", Adventure Time, Guest Post

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Categories Festive Rewind
Author Emma Fraser

Masters of Sex 1.11 “Phallic Victories” Costume Review: Are You Good Enough?

9 Dec

Virginia Johnson pulls many people into her orbit; some describe her as being like “Technicolor” and with others there is a rapport through a conflicting personality type. Bill Masters and Lillian DePaul are part of the latter group and Virginia enhances their work by focusing on personal aspects beyond just science. It’s perhaps fitting then, that the episode closes with Virginia singing you “Don’t Know Me” (and yes that is Lizzy Caplan singing) as we still have barely scratched the surface with who Virginia really is, while closed off characters have revealed their innermost secrets and fears. We know what other people think of her and yet the inner life of Virginia Johnson is still a mystery.

Bill has his own fantasy version of Virginia in this episode, as he no longer has the real one to talk to after she quit last week and Bill is not the kind of person who will make the first move towards a reconciliation. Instead he has these imaginary chats where ‘Virginia’ points out the missteps that he is taking with this new presentation idea. She also reminds him that she was more than just a secretary; this is his projection of guilt. The lighting is dimmer in these moments and in the scene above her posture is emphasizing her chest and there’s a sultry, but disdainful quality to this look.

In reality this is how Virginia looks in the same attire, in Lillian’s office instead and it’s a lot less pouty and perky. There’s a relaxed quality to the Johnson/DePaul relationship even if Lillian is just as prickly as Bill ever was; it helps that there is no sexual tension.

Bill’s version of Virginia works on several levels; she acts as the voice of reason and she imparts a much needed confidence boost. ‘Virginia’ challenges his new presentation idea as he’s going to make a bold statement that he can’t back up with sufficient evidence and it’s a big claim; he’s going to state that size doesn’t matter. Bill’s reasoning is that he needs to keep people in the room so they hear the actual discoveries they have made and he’s afraid that if the work isn’t a success then he will have lost everything. ‘Virginia’ tells him that he is a “bigger man” than all of this and the real fear isn’t to do with size, “the fear is are you good enough?” Bill doesn’t think he is a bigger man and this loops back to his earlier comment to Libby that there is always something to prove.

Fantasy Virginia wears a variety of outfits including the grey that matches what the actual Virginia is wearing, the blue bathrobe of their most intimate moments and the green that Virginia wore a lot at the start of the season and then stopped doing so once they started sleeping together. The green sweater in the scene above was last worn in episode 3 “Standard Deviation,” the first episode Virginia wore a lab coat in. This was also the first time Virginia met Lillian and Lillian essentially gave her the brush off.

The only shared scene between the real Virginia and Bill happens in the last sequence of the episode as Virginia is singing “You Don’t Know Me” and the pair share an elevator ride as if they are strangers. Both make sly glances at the other while waiting in a big crowd, but other than that there is nothing.

Bill is isolated in all aspects of his life and this is no more apparent than at home. The shot prior to this one made it seem like Libby and Bill are in the same bed together as Libby asks questions about the mystery 23 times couple, a couple who we know to be Bill and Virginia. As with Margaret and Barton’s secret all the clues are there for Libby to work out who this really is and yet she seems blissfully unaware at this point as she poses the question of whether this couple fell in love. Bill’s only response is that this is outside the area of inquiry. We don’t do emotions here, even though we do really. Bill and Libby are worlds apart despite their close-ish proximity and Libby is trying to do everything in her power to make herself a valued part of Bill’s life.

This includes an offer of help at work and she can be his new “Virginia.” There is so much awkwardness in this episode between Libby and Bill as Libby tries everything to reach out to him. Libby tells him that he takes care of me followed by the super cringe line of “you feel good inside me.” Yep, that happens and I really feel for her. As with Margaret there’s only so much she can do for her husband as he’s thinking about someone else. The whole pregnancy is still not sitting well between them and they trade passive aggressive statements back and forth.

Libby’s character trajectory has been impressive; at first it seemed like she was going to be a simpering housewife who called her husband ‘Daddy’ and instead she has become so much more than that. Ultimately is it a fool’s errand that she keeps attempting to crack Bill? Possibly, but at least she isn’t passive. This episode also produced yet another female friendship to warm my heart with Jane and Libby hitting it off instantly.

The maternity wear is beautiful once again and while the peach attire is new, the outfit above is a repeat costume. Libby is luminescent in these scenes and it might be a kiss ass comment from the new wannabe Ethan, but she does have a smile in her voice. If I was Tyra I would call this ‘smalking.’

More maternity wear and as with a lot of the late 50s/early 60s women’s clothes a detailed collar is everything. Libby’s choice of office wear is less colorful than what we usually see her in (the peach was intended for a lunch date, not work) as if she is trying to tone down her look and not stand out.

Jane or VirJane as she is now known whenever Bill yells for her (and it’s a lot) is still rocking her ever present sunny shade of yellow.

And more yellow. Jane’s disposition is still upbeat despite Bill’s constant yelling and put downs because she doesn’t have every single one of his medical filing terms remembered. Jane is still seeking out Virginia’s advice in secret and while she’s not Virginia, Bill has lucked out getting Jane as his secretary and she has also been so vital to his study. Bill wants to show some of the film they shot, a factor that Jane isn’t all that comfortable with and she refers to as the “mine shaft footage.” The other film has of course been destroyed so there is no way Bill could use that.

This is the first episode in which Libby and Jane have shared a scene and I hope we will get to see this friendship blossom; both Caitlin Fitzgerald and Helén Yorke have been standouts this season so I’m glad to see them together. The pair go through the files to find viable candidates and it’s here they unknowingly stumble upon the Bill and Virginia’s data – it’s lucky that no names are included, but personal details like how many children they have and marital status could hint at who it was if they dug deep enough. Jane’s not all about yellow, her other color is blue and she tends to wear something with a darker hue when the stakes are higher and Bill’s presentation is incredibly important. It’s a dress with little to distract except for the collar detail and Jane’s costuming tends to have a feminine flourish even when it’s a slightly more reserved outfit.

“Well, having a dick doesn’t hurt.” Lillian utters this declaration after a disastrous 17-hour trip and a conference that is over by the time she arrives with Virginia. Lillian rails against the system and the Bill Masters of the world and believes she would be in a much better position if she had the right anatomy. Virginia argues that Bill only has the “rainmaker prerogative” not because he is a man, but because he is excellent at his job and has learned how to work the system. I mean it’s hard to argue that his gender hasn’t opened doors for him, and yet what I think Virginia is trying to tell Lillian is she has to work the angles and not look at the things that are holding her research back. Lillian has softened her appearance for the conference with her hair down, but her suit is still the stiff grey and it’s important on occasions like this to be comfortable in personal presentation.

So while they can’t schmooze out on the golf course there is an entirely different set of influential ears they can bend. Virginia knows how to work a room, she’s been in plenty of different social situations and her time on stage gives her confidence and presence. Virginia is essentially Lillian’s hype man, she does the intro and knows which buttons to press in terms of ego stroking and lets Lillian do the science part. This is Virginia’s “size doesn’t matter” speech, but instead of using false data she uses life experience. White gloves, pretty dresses and pearls give off an air of ‘ladies who lunch’ and yet their influence gives Lillian six advocates in six states, probably more than her presentation would have garnered. Especially if she opened with her gags.

Unlike the instant friendships between any of the Libby/Jane/Virginia combinations, the road to Virginia and Lillian has almost been as long as their 17-hour trip. It’s now hit a point where Lillian shares her deepest, darkest secret – she has cancer. Julianne Nicholson is devastating in her performance as she tells Virginia in a rather matter of fact way about her cancer history and the end that is closer than it should be at this age. Virginia at first mistakes Lillian’s wonder at the doctor’s wives as sadness that she hasn’t her own family; it’s quite the opposite as she ponders what could be achieved if all of those women pursued careers instead. Lillian is desperate for someone to continue her work and while this work is just hers, she needs someone who can take the reins from her when she falls. Lillian has been going at it alone and now she has a partner of sorts, Virginia has already been part of a team but her name will no longer be on that work. I wonder if this is sly nod to the title of this show which thanks to the pun only references one half of the partnership, but it is Virginia who is on everyone’s mind.

This includes the metaphorical dick measuring contest between Virginia’s current beau Ethan and her former husband George, who shows up just when it’s only Ethan looking after the kids. Like Libby, Ethan is a character that I dismissed in the first episode and his violent actions and jealous streak made him incredibly unappealing and he felt like another version of Joan’s husband Greg in Mad Men. I’m still wary of him and even though Virginia is making a go of it this time, I’m worried that if/when it goes sour he will lash out again. Ethan does handle himself with George though, he plays the doctor card and yes he does shave. We measure ourselves in a variety of ways and this competitive banter between George and Ethan is just another version of that. It’s not just the ladies that get fancy neck details and Ethan’s casual wear features a rather bold red, white and blue collar.

All George has is this past version of Virginia that he can brag about knowing and yet he has no access to her, yes he has memories but how much can memories get you? He brags about her singing and how she never does it anymore, as the last sequence proves this isn’t the case. It’s just a singing booth at the fair, but to Ethan and her kids it’s the world. This is a different version of Virginia and once again it does feel like we don’t know her. Lizzy Caplan is excellent in this role but it still feels like we are getting Virginia through the eyes of everyone else. Virginia is essentially the Masters of Sex hype man, she gets us in the tent and we get to learn about the inner lives of everyone else. What happens when we get to see who Virginia really is?

Tags: "Phallic Victories", 1.11, Ane Crabtree, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Helen Yorke, Julianne Nicholson, Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex, Michael Sheen

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Categories Costuming, Masters of Sex
Author Emma Fraser

Scandal 3.09 “YOLO” Costume Review: Power, Protection and Manipulation

6 Dec

In what has become a standard Scandal tradition, that last moments of this episode had me yelling “WHAAAAAAAT?” at the screen. The torture opening sequence elicited the same response and even though the promo had prepared me for Huck’s lick of crazy, it was still pretty disturbing; most of the Quinn scenes were coated in a sheet of ick. This is more than I can say for Quinn who only had an outfit made out of duct tape and while Lady Gaga could maybe make this work it felt like a step too far to have Quinn sans clothes as part of this torture; would Huck really do that?

It’s an episode that featured very few costume changes by Scandal standards, but we’ve still got plenty to talk about as a lot of the characters use clothes as a form of protection (except Quinn who can’t). Olivia wraps herself up in another big, beautiful coat, Jake pulls out his uniform and James mimics the color that Cyrus picked out for him when he set him up with Daniel Douglas.

The team get all caught up on the no longer Dead Mama Pope situation and as you can see white items of clothing run in the Pope family. Ok not really as this is Maya’s hospital attire, but Maya is wearing a white top/black skirt combo in the flashback sequence that is reminiscent of Olivia’s present clothing choices.

In what you could call a strained breakfast catch up – and none of that food really looked like breakfast, not a waffle in sight – Olivia is surprised to hear that her mother thinks she doesn’t have much laughter in her life. For someone who has been locked away in a cell for 20 years she’s pretty perceptive. Maya has been given a wardrobe change and like her daughter it’s all neutral tones. Only one of the Pope women has a Prada purse.

Olivia spends the episode in this double grey ensemble and the draped coat is reminiscent of the Donna Karan one that got blown up earlier this season. Like all of Olivia’s outerwear it’s beautiful and the oversized trend is coming in useful this season. It also gives Olivia something to wrap around herself and we’ve seen her do this in the past as a form of protection. Grey is also the perfect color to show the insanely messed up situation that Olivia has found herself in this season. Election rigging has got nothing on this.

Maya gets her own camel coat of glory and a hug from her daughter after Abby pretty much forces Olivia to reach out in a physical way. The hug from Abby a few weeks ago was part of the emotional preparedness training. This also prompts another piece of the flashback puzzle for Olivia and like everyone else who has seen Alias I am getting every single “Spy Daddy is always good” related feeling. So Maya is actually Marie Wallace and Eli was just protecting his daughter and now his life is in the hands of Quinn?! Well that’s a whole lot of uh-oh going on. This show likes to create six twists for every one so I’m not going to put all my eggs in the “Eli is good” basket; however his comment about not enjoying killing at the start of the episode is pointing towards some white hat intentions.

Harrison thinks that Olivia is “handling it” and I don’t know who is in more denial as I’m pretty sure she’s a mess, even if she can cover it up most of the time. Abby spends most of the episode sassing people which I’m fine with because some straight talking is required and her palazzo pants are magnificent in the shot above. Abby also gets to be the connection to David Rosen and this is pretty flimsy in the attempt to use him with their get Maya out of the country plan, the dude needs his owns storyline. Speaking of guys who need their own story a mystery unnamed associate of Harrison’s, helps with some documents and lets him know the dreaded Adnan Salif is back. She also refers to him as H and doesn’t care to introduce herself to Abby.

In what might be the fastest walk and talk I’ve ever seen on TV making everyone on The West Wing look like they’re taking a pleasant stroll (which they are in comparison) Cyrus and Mellie discuss all things operation Daniel Douglas. Well not all things as Cyrus is trying to keep James’ infidelity out of it all. The infidelity that he set up and believed would never happen as he snarked to Mellie that his marriage is nothing like hers. Mellie is wears her political power color (complete with pearls) of red throughout the episode and instead of playing the “I told you so” card she offers the limited amount of comfort that she has to offer – that “it hurts and then it doesn’t.” She doesn’t go so far as offer him a hug, but this really isn’t a hugging kind of show unless someone is coerced.

James wears a similar plum shade to the one he wore in his intimate interview with Daniel Douglas. James spends the first half of the episode passive aggressively taunting Cyrus using phrases like “got him to go deep” and “quick and dirty.” Cyrus eventually cracks and tries to blame James for going through with it. Cyrus doesn’t have an ethical leg to stand on (does he ever?) and James spells it out loud and clear what he wants to happen.

It’s certainly not a cryptic message and so Cyrus puts the photos of James and Daniel into play. Well he only shows them to Sally and she doesn’t blink an eyelid, that is until she gets home and murders her husband. Everyone in political power on this show seems to have a killer instinct. Cyrus asks James for forgiveness, could this honey-trap scheme be a manipulation too far for James? The whole murder aspect isn’t going to help either.

In another posturing match Jake pulled out the big guns by switching out his hoodie for his military uniform, which he must keep in his car as surely his apartment is being watched. Regardless it’s a clothing choice to try and assert some power with Fitz and also emphasize why he is so pissed off with the current situation. Jake might have had time to change clothes, however he’s rocking some light stubble. There’s no time for shaving. I’ve been writing about Felicity a lot recently for This Was TV and this is the first time I’ve had Scott Foley character whiplash; it might be down to the hilarious goatee that Noel was growing in one of the recent Felicity episodes I have discussed. The stubble looks a lot better on Foley here.

Next week is the mid season finale! Expect a whole lot of plot crazy and probably more coats to add to my covet list.

Tags: "YOLO", 3.09, costume design, Felicity, Kerry Washington, Lyn Paolo, Olivia Pope, Scandal, Scandal Fashion

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Categories Costuming, Scandal
Author Emma Fraser

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

6 Dec

‘Tis the season for all of those end of year musings and the start of the many award shows between now and the Oscars. “Out of the Box” is taking a look at the red carpet offerings from this week, in what I should imagine will be the first of many award show fashion posts in the coming months. While I might normally moan about the absence of color, as it’s heading towards the holiday season the variety of twists on the LBD is more than acceptable.

There is so much to say about this group shot from the Gotham Independent Film Awards and bullet points seem like the best way forward:

Michael B. Jordan has been killing it on the red carpet all year and I’m so happy to see him getting so much recognition; he picked up Breakthrough Actor for Fruitvale Station at this awards show.
Rashida Jones has filmed her last Parks and Recreation episode which is giving me all the Leslie and Ann related sads, but yay for real life friendship.
Also Amy Poehler looks stunning in a leather shouldered Catherine Deane dress. And yes I’m totally digging her real life romance with Nick Kroll who hosted the Gotham Awards. Will ‘The Douche’ make an appearance this season?
Oh hey, Jordan Catalano’s hair is super long and I kind of like it. While my teen crush on Jared Leto has all but gone I am looking forward to seeing Dallas Buyers Club and the inevitable reunion with Claire Danes at the Golden Globes. This needs to happen.

At the same event Girls star Zosia Mamet looks super cute in a Rebecca Minkoff black mini jersey dress. Mamet’s red carpet face tends to give off an air of boredom, not on this occasion where she looks super smiley and comfortable. I’m also very much in love with her chunky buckled black shoes and while I don’t tend to be a heel wearer, I’m definitely coveting this pair.

This is how you do winter floral and The Tunnel star Clémence Poésy accompanies designer Erdem to the British Fashion Awards – he picked up the Red Carpet Award – and Poésy shows just why he won, as she’s rocking an Erdem creation. While I haven’t been loving the sheer trend overall (see every Dior gown Jennifer Lawrence wore for the Catching Fire press tour), Erdem has used this technique well and one of my favorite looks at the Met Gala earlier this year was Lena Dunham in Erdem.

It’s been a big week for Julianna Margulies as The Good Wife celebrated 100 episodes and she looks stunning in Pamella Roland at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Gala dinner. The contrasting element of the crisscross bodice with the full skirt (with bonus pockets!) is elegant and adds fun twist on the monochrome trend that has been big this year. I’d maybe like to see a crimson lip tone, but other than that this is a great look for the Good Wife star.

Tags: Amy Poehler, British Fashion Awards, Clemence Poesy, Girls, Julianna Margulies, Michael B. Jordan, My So-Called Life, Nick Kroll, Parks and Recreation, Rashida Jones, The Good Wife, The Gotham Independent Film Awards, Zosia Mamet

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Categories Out of the Box: Look of the Week
Author Emma Fraser

Best of TV Costuming 2013: Mad Men and the Megan T-Shirt Conspiracy

5 Dec

It’s the first entry in TV Ate My Wardrobe’s “Best of 2013” costuming series and rather than doing a straightforward countdown we’re going to do a variety of posts that look at which costumes and shows have made a huge impact this year. From items that we want in our own wardrobe to pieces that got everyone talking, we want to look at this year’s TV through the prism of costume.

We’re going to start with the T-shirt that prompted a stream of speculation and conspiracy theories; Megan Draper’s red star tee from the Mad Men season 6 episode “The Better Half.”

Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant has sparked pages of discussion with her meticulous creations and nothing more so than putting Megan in the same tee that featured in Esquire magazine in 1967 (a year prior to when this episode is set) by none other than Sharon Tate. Tate would be brutally murdered by the Manson Family in 1969 and because Megan shares certain similarities with Sharon Tate this started speculation that Megan would meet a tragic end. I have to admit that I got caught up in this theorizing as season 6 was particularly dark and violent, reflecting the tumultuous period in US history that this season is set in and it looked like Megan was going to become the victim of the season.

Season 5 had many hints at a suicide theme and while all fingers pointed to Pete Campbell, it was actually Lane who took his own life. It’s a fool me twice kind of situation and the only person to meet a potentially grizzly end is Pete’s mother – there is no body and it all happened off screen so it’s not even a definitive murder. Rabid symbolic theorizing isn’t something you might initially think of with Mad Men and yet last season with Megan’s red star shirt it hit Lost levels of debate.

Megan has always been a character who is ahead of the curve when it comes to fashion trends and this outfit comes across as particularly modern, the nightdress that Peggy wears when she stabs Abe in the same episode – yep this season really did go to some dark places – is what you would expect from this era. Megan’s tee and underwear for the hot summer night is more reminiscent of what someone would wear now. This is what initially stood out about this costuming choice; this all changed when Reddit users started to speculate and Bryant confirmed on Twitter that it was an intentional reference to the Tate Esquire shoot. Cue many blog posts discussing foreshadowing and Megan’s fate.

Everything on Mad Men from the props to the references to the costumes are there for a reason, we all know how specific creator Matthew Weiner can be and because he doesn’t give anything up it encourages these types of discussions. At times it really does feel like he is fucking with us and looking back it seems kind of crazy that one piece of clothing could lead to a conclusion of murder; this is the power of the costuming choices on a show like Mad Men.

I also want to single out Tom and Lorenzo’s incredible textual analysis on their weekly “Mad Style” column; this has been a big influence here at TV Ate My Wardrobe and it shows that costuming goes beyond authenticity of a time period and it can reveal so much without a word being uttered.

Tags: "The Better Half", Janie Bryant, Mad Men, Megan Draper, red star t-shirt, Sharon Tate

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Categories Best of 2013
Author Emma Fraser

The Wish List: The Mindy Project’s “Christmas Party Sex Trap”

4 Dec

Bold color and pattern are very much part of The Mindy Project costuming and this week’s festive outing is the perfect time for a Mindy wish list. Mindy doesn’t disappoint on this big holiday occasion with her sartorial choices and she is yet to meet a sparkly dress that she doesn’t like. It’s also time to add to the TV Ate My Wardrobe burgeoning coat covet list.

Plaid is always a winner and C. Wonder’s purple wool toggle coat is a fun twist on this pattern and is perfectly Mindy. Sadly it is no longer available but I’ll be keeping an eye out for it on eBay.

It’s a double coat winner for Mindy this week and Theory’s ‘Danvey’ houndstooth coat rivals the dogstooth beauty on the last episode of Scandal; everything in a tooth pattern is an instant draw at the moment. It also happens to be more than half off and it also comes in camel tones if you want to switch up from the traditional monochrome. Mindy’s outerwear has been pretty exceptional this season including this recent entry on our Look of the Week list. Both the above and below photos give me many conflicted Danny/Mindy feelings; a ‘will they/won’t they’ who I like as friends first, but their chemistry is undeniable.

Mindy’s holiday party dress is slightly more demure than I expected – not that she has to be full on sparkles and color all of the time – and it’s a beautiful peacock blue L. K. Bennett cocktail dress with a rhinestone embellished top. So yes, there is a sophisticated glittery element to it.

Like Mindy, Betsy doesn’t shy away from patterns and color and this red, white and blue bubble retro looking blouse from ModCloth is a perfect example of that. As with the C. Wonder plaid coat this is no longer available to purchase so we’ll have to keep our eBay searching eyes peeled.

Earlier today, I suggested TV character paper dolls that you can switch clothing between and I would love to see Mindy Lahiri trying out Carrie Mathison’s Theory look and vice versa.

In non wish list news here is a bonus gif gift of Danny’s Aaliyah dance. Enjoy!

[Source]

Tags: C. Wonder, Chris Messina dancing, L.K. Bennett, Mindy Kaling, ModCloth, The Mindy Project, Theory

Comments 6 Comments
Categories The Mindy Project, The Wish List
Author Emma Fraser

Claire Danes Covers Glamour: Talks Cry Face, Feminism and Carrie’s Wardrobe

4 Dec

There’s enough time for one more magazine for Claire Danes to cover before the end of the year and Glamour’s first 2014 issue goes to the Homeland star. For any regular visitors you will know that Danes is a TV Ate My Wardrobe favorite and we’re always pleased with how forthcoming she is in interviews. In Glamour she discusses both personal and work related aspects of her life including her much memed cry face.

One question that can produce a lot of umming and ahing from female celebrities is “Are you a feminist?” Is it because they worry about alienating some fans? Or do they simply think that feminism equates to being a man hater? Whatever the reason it is frustrating, so it’s always refreshing to see someone answer this question with clarity and passion:

“I am a feminist. And I’m so glad that Lena Dunham exists, because she is one too, and she’s quite vocal about it. Yes, women have more freedom and more influence than ever, but it’s hardly equal. It’s just not. It’s really f–king crazy. I’m sorry I’m cursing. But it’s wild that women are underrepresented [in Hollywood]. I have real anxiety about directing, and that’s something to question and challenge and correct.”

I mean not everyone will necessarily be happy with the Dunham reference as she is incredibly polarizing, but Danes has been a vehement supporter of the Girls creator – she wrote about Dunham earlier this year for Time magazine and they had this super cute Seacrest interrupting moment together on the Emmy red carpet:

Claire Danes’ cry face has been mesmerizing since Angela Chase (over at This Was TV we talked about it a lot) and when her chin begins to quiver it pretty much guarantees that I will get the misty eyes. In past interviews Danes has come across as a tad annoyed at the attention this gets, this isn’t so much the case this time as she talks about it in terms of the character she is portraying “I think people are made uncomfortable by uncensored expressions of emotion. But, you know, that’s my job. I don’t have those fears. I really have never been concerned about being beautiful on-screen. That’s just not my jam. I’m concerned about it if I’m playing a beautiful character. But it’s not relevant for Carrie.”

Oh hey it’s a super cute dog.

Moving on to Carrie’s wardrobe and the brand they favor for this character “Carrie wears a lot of Theory. That is her brand. She’s a Theory girl. It’s a lot of navy. A lot of navy. I actually forget how to wear my own clothing when I’m filming because I wear basically the same pair of jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt and then change out of it and immediately into my pantsuit.” It makes sense for who Carrie is as a character that her clothes are very functional as her life is chaotic enough; can you imagine if they put her in the pattern clashing costumes of Mindy Lahiri? Or all the polka dots of Jess Day? Now I want to create paper dolls to switch outfits between sitcom and drama characters. Sounds like a job for Kyle Hilton.

For more Claire Danes in Glamour you can pick up an issue of the magazine on newsstands December 10.

Tags: Claire Danes, Cry Face, Feminism, Glamour, Homeland, Lena Dunham, Theory

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Amazing Ladies, Magazine Covers
Author Emma Fraser

Costuming on The Good Wife’s 100th Episode: Color, Memory and Perception

3 Dec

The Good Wife likes to play with an episode format; from the type of courtroom a case takes place in to the different multimedia they use to enhance a story. The 100th outing is not a disappointment in this department and it includes an experimental sequence that plays with reality and perception. Costuming plays a big role in this as we see Will grappling with his heartbreak in an incredibly raw, sad and dark manner.

Multiple shows use flashbacks – Lost used them as part of their weekly narrative structure – and so it is hard to produce anything particularly innovative with this device. These scenes are generally very matter of fact and a good representation of past events. In “The Decision Tree” we are offered slight variations on the same scene, on both occasions Will and Alicia remember him sliding his hand in between her leg; yes The Good Wife knows how to make the slightest hint of skin the sexiest thing. This memory catches them both off guard and these momentary flashes are used as an emotional prompt. There is one visual cue that emphasizes their different memories as Alicia is wearing royal blue in her version and for Will it is red.

Red is the color Good Wife costume designer Daniel Lawson tends to put Alicia in to represent her power and sexuality; it makes sense that Will associate’s this color with this period of intense passion. Blue suggests loyalty and trust, something that is absent in their current relationship. It’s also a visual reminder to the episode that started it all in terms of the big Cary and Alicia split, with last season’s “Red Team/Blue Team.” Will is wearing the same suit in both scenes, though not the same quizzical look.

The sequence that follows is equally challenging and impressive as Will prepares for court with an imaginary cross examination of Alicia. Fantasy Alicia is all big smiles and fluttery eyelashes; Julianna Margulies delivers her lines with a girly flirty quality and plays up the feigned innocence of Will’s projection. It’s top notch editing as we cut between Will in his office at home, the close up on imagined Alicia and the memories in New York. Alicia tells Will “this is the happiest I’ve ever been” and if this was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind this would be the memory that Will would want to keep, even if it is destroying him in the present. How much can we trust this sequence? This is the brilliance of showing conflicting memories as we can’t trust the veracity of these moments. I would even argue that Will has transferred a statement that he made onto Alicia, as Alicia did hold back emotionally during their time together in season 3.

In Will’s fantasy cross examination he’s picturing Alicia in a suit of white innocence and this is a different play on Madonna/Whore complex. This isn’t about sex, even if a lot of their relationship was based on a foundation of passion and this sequence does include intimate moments. No, the idea of betrayal is how she portrayed herself at work as ‘the good wife’ while in his mind she was stealing Lockhart/Gardner’s clients. Will hasn’t really outwardly dealt with Alicia’s departure and instead he has thrown himself into work and hooked up with yoga girl (who sadly makes an appearance at the end of this scene, clad only in one of Will’s white shirts because of course). This decision tree process gives him an opportunity to question ‘Alicia’ and rage against her decision to leave which he can’t disconnect from their personal relationship. It’s a surreal scene full of pain and one of the best this show has produced featuring A+ work from both Josh Charles and Julianna Margulies.

Will tells his imagined Alicia “I don’t like it when you’re weak” and the real Alicia in court the next day is anything but. Dressed in a dark suit, devoid of any color Alicia doesn’t get teary eyed as he projected. Instead she is calm in her responses and shows her inner strength; this episode includes some of the best death stares I have ever seen and I’m surprised there aren’t corpses littering the courtroom floor. Alicia won’t allow Will to emotionally manipulate her by using part of a conversation that occurred when they were at their most intimate.

It’s a bold episode and one that plays with the idea of emotional connections through memory. Costuming gives us a reason to doubt Will’s recollections and The Good Wife continues to use this aspect to enhance and add to an episode beyond ladies looking good in suits.

Tags: "The Decision Tree", 100th episode, Alicia Florrick, Daniel Lawson, Josh Charles, Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Costuming, The Good Wife
Author Emma Fraser

Girls Season 3 Poster: Boots and Gowns

2 Dec

The promo wheels keep on spinning for the news season of Girls and hot on the heels of the new promo last week, HBO has now released a poster. Adam and Ray are now part of the poster ensemble, which in the past has only featured the women of Girls. There’s a fairy tale theme with Shoshanna and Marnie rocking the pastel shades and playing princess – both of these characters are very good at faking happiness. Jessa looks bored of course and has paired her gown with a pair of rugged boots and it’s a little disconcerting that Hannah is staring directly out of the poster at you. Hannah has ditched her shoes and this is my go to move when wearing heels. Oh and Adam has lost the facial fuzz and Ray has a perfect expression of disdain.

After the happily ever after knight in shining armor moment (ok knight with amazing Face Time reception in the street) ending of last season, this theme is somewhat appropriate and it’s given the Girls edge with the “Happily Whatever After” tagline. The primary season 2 poster featured only Hannah and this hinted at her isolation and so it’s a welcome relief to see an expanded group shot like this one. I’m also happy they’ve taken it out of the city and gone for a ‘fantasy’ image that plays with the notion of a perfect lifestyle. It’s messy like the show and while the fairy tale idea isn’t an innovative one, it is fun and season 3 looks set to capture this aspect that got lost last year.

Tags: fairy tale, Girls, HBO, Lena Dunham, Season 3

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Girls
Author Emma Fraser

Masters of Sex 1.10 “Fallout” Costume Review: Floating or Falling?

2 Dec

As with Mad Men, Masters of Sex has barely touched upon the political climate of the time period unless it directly impacts the characters. In “Fallout” there is no escaping it as a huge Civil Defense simulation is taking place across Missouri with their hospital being one of the practice staging areas. [We’ve now entered 1960 and these events occur a few weeks after the last episode, from what I can gather it is this exercise they are depicting – choice quote from that newspaper article “To many housewives it meant they had to miss part of their noontime television and radio broadcasts.”]*

In terms of the personal relationships, the threat of annihilation could apply to many of their own situations and while some of the imagery in “Fallout” is less than subtle, the backdrop of this test allows these characters to address many of their problems that have been simmering below the surface.

Strained is one way you could describe the current state of the Virginia/Bill relationship and it’s pretty much nuclear at this point (sorry I will try and refrain from more lame puns). It’s pretty apt that one of their several heated discussions in this episode is interrupted by a drill and they’re plunged into darkness. At this point Virginia doesn’t know about Libby’s pregnancy; it’s clear to the audience that Bill is taking out all of his frustrations on her. Bill uses Austin’s baby daddy predicament as a cipher for his own lack of agency in the conception of his child; he states that Austin can’t simply forget what Virginia has told him and thinks that she isn’t the one who should be making these kinds of life altering decisions. It’s a sticky situation as Virginia has broken their anonymity clause and she is seeing it from her perspective as a single mother. Virginia takes to finding out the identity of the male like a spy, as she waits for Bill to leave before she ‘cracks’ his safe and her all black attire adds to this notion in the shot below.

Our personal experiences inform how we respond to these situations and Virginia confronts Masters later regarding the news that Libby is pregnant. The envelope full of money felt like a giant slap in the face and their working rhythm has been shattered, Virginia has been trying to figure out why Bill would do this and the Libby revelation holds all the answers. It’s been clear that there is more to their participation than just science and Virginia realizes that the money came from a place of guilt as they had formed an emotional attachment. The only option that Virginia sees is to quit and while we have already been on this part of the Bill/Virginia carousel at the start of the season, Virginia is the one making the break this time. We get another staring at a reflection scene to close out the episode and it’s reversed with Bill gazing at Virginia’s empty desk. Bill the guy who claims he doesn’t get emotional is clearly letting Virginia reach some previously uncharted territory.

What this decision leads to is a pairing that has been growing over the past few weeks. In one of the simulated bomb warnings Dr. Lillian DePaul and Virginia share a desk shelter. As with the Virginia/Bill relationship, this one started out frosty and has been slowing thawing as Lillian comes to understand that Virginia isn’t the person she first perceived. Lillian is the one with the biggest ticking time bomb inside her; as with the threat of nuclear war she has her own condition that could kill her at any time. The research Lillian wants to do is incredibly important for the future of women’s health and the measly check of $600 is going to do nothing to advance her program. Virginia tends to be a glass half full kind of woman and she suggests charm as a way to obtain more funds and even though there are many similarities between Lillian and Bill, he has his gender to give him a boost when his terrible bedside manner fails.

Lillian attempts the Virginia school of getting things done; she puts on crimson lipstick and lets down her hair but instead it comes across like she is hitting on a married man. It’s so awkward and clearly something she is not good at nor feels comfortable doing – when asking about his tie “What would you call that color?” she gets the deadpan response of “Red.” As soon as Virginia mentions how nice Lillian looks, Lillian ties back her hair and claims she looks like “a rodeo clown.” Lillian is not one to take a compliment, but she is willing to accept Virginia’s assistance with her funding issue. Virginia is taking a step back with her position as she returns to a secretarial role and yet it could have a huge impact to both Lillian as a friend and the future of women’s healthcare funding. Despite her friendly and outgoing persona we haven’t seen any friends of Virginia’s aside from Jane or Libby, so no one that is connected to the hospital. This relationship could be just as beneficial to Virginia and she widens her circle even if this is another connection through work.

Margaret has plenty of friends and yet she is still incredibly isolated as she can’t share any of her Barton fears with this group. They discuss another friend who has just got a divorce and this woman has now pretty much been exiled. Divorce was still rare at this time and there was a fear that it might spread if you associate with the woman in question – this reminds me of the Helen Bishop story in Mad Men and how none of the women wanted to befriend a divorcee. As one of Margaret’s friends puts it “The man strays, the wife pays.” Put this on a slogan tee. Margaret’s looking rather delicate in this white lace top, though the hint of red with the gorgeous crescent shaped clip (which looks a tad like the USSR sickle symbol) shows the burning passion that has been awoken in her.

Switching it up later Margaret wears pastel blue with a double broach (Margaret’s broach collection is beginning to rival Diane Lockhart’s) for her trip to the bar to find out from a prostitute how she can please Barton in the bedroom. While Margaret hasn’t connected the dots about Barton’s sexuality the prostitute figures it out pretty quickly thanks to Margaret’s description of their sex positions, his disinterest in topless women in Tahiti and the young man who Margaret mistook for his pimp. Margaret laughs about this at first and seems briefly relived until devastation sets in. It goes without saying that once again Allison Janney is a revelation as she plays a wide variety of emotions. Margaret’s costuming alternates between red and blue within this episode; the hint of red, to the baby blue, followed by the deep red of Margaret’s bathing suit and cap. There is also a shot of Margaret in her stunning scarlet dress with Barton at their anniversary party and the use of this color in the pool scene feels like a reference to her freedom in finding out this truth. Knowledge is a powerful thing and now she knows she isn’t to blame for Barton’s lack of sexual interest she can finally relax.

It concludes with this beautifully shot swimming pool sequence as Margaret and Austin reconnect, not in a sexual manner but on the level just prior to when they first hooked up. Austin is in a tailspin after the revelation that he got one of his study partners pregnant (the diaphragm has a 6% chance of failing) and up until now he hasn’t felt like he has had much responsibility (hopefully he feels some toward his wife). Austin is a big fan of metaphors and on this occasion he starts talking about his situation as if he is like one of the new fangled satellites that isn’t tethered to anything and is just floating. Margaret corrects him and explains that they’re actually in a constant falling state as gravity pulls them towards Earth and as Earth curves away it holds them in place. The juxtaposition of this conversation while they are both floating in the pool is mesmerizing and it’s clear why these two characters are drawn to each other. It once again comes down to space imagery and thanks to the time period and how important space exploration was at this time it’s going to be a repeated theme.

Jane is one of the few people wearing color this week and it’s her standard yellow. Jane has acted with kindness and openness throughout the series so it is a big surprise to see her go all mean girls on Lester and humiliating him in front of the other secretaries. This is a reaction to his knowledge of her participation in the study and she later apologizes to Lester for the harsh words telling him “you can only be accountable for yourself.” In these moments of heightened panic (even the simulated kind) people tend to look inward and in this moment Lester demonstrates a streak of confidence we haven’t seen before as he tells her that if this was his last night on earth then he’d kiss her and then he does. Yes, I’m totally shipping this pair.

Bill isn’t taking this drill seriously as he has too much work to do and lots of other things on his mind, he yells at Jane for not being in the office, but as she is one of the hall monitors (hence the helmet at a jaunty angle) she has other things she’s meant to be organizing. Bill continues to get exasperated by the whole thing and he can’t believe how everyone is reacting.

It reaches new heights of absurdity when he enters the OR and everyone is crouched down around a patient. It also means that Bill has to work with Ethan as the other surgeon is part of the overall drill and this leads to a huge confrontation and a sucker punch all while in their surgical gear. Bill is mostly mad at Ethan because of Libby, however Virginia also factors into the scenario as Bill is clearly jealous of their intimacy and ability to have some semblance of PDA. Libby doesn’t appear this week but her presence is felt.

Here is a better look at one of the posters that is dotted around the hospital, a poster that was designed in 1941 and uses red, white and blue to evoke patriotism. It’s a simple design and focuses on a personal responsibility as part of the wider effort. While tactics like this probably wouldn’t work on someone like Bill, it definitely appeals to people like Jane and she has shown she is just as vital to the grand scheme as an innovator like Bill.

*Correction it’s not 1960 yet, it’s still only 1958 though the simulation I’ve linked to sounds a lot like the one in this episode. The time covered during season hasn’t always been clear and so I apologize for leaping ahead too far in time.

Tags: "Fallout", 1.10, Allison Janney, Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex, Michael Sheen

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Costuming, Masters of Sex
Author Emma Fraser

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